How Much Does Your SUV Really Cost You?

In 1992, there were almost 20,000 fewer traffic fatalities than in 1972, which is an encouraging trend. However, they have since begun to rise and were about 5,000 deaths higher in 2002 than in 1992. As a country, our safety record on the road has also suffered. The U.S. was once first in the world for the fewest number of traffic fatalities; we are now ninth. What explains this disparity between our country and others? In large part, it can be attributed to the ubiquitous presence of sport utility vehicles and pick-up trucks on the roads. Thirty years ago, sales of light trucks, including minivans, pickups, and SUVs, accounted for 1/5th of total auto sales. They now account for more than half. In this post, we’ll discuss the true costs of owning an SUV-to their drivers and society as a whole.

Danger to Smaller Vehicles

It is true that larger vehicles are supposed to be safer than smaller vehicles, but only for the occupants of the larger vehicles. For everyone else in a smaller car, large vehicles represent a potent threat for traffic fatalities. One economist estimates that for every fatality light-truck drivers and occupants avoid for themselves, they cause four fatalities for pedestrians, bicyclists, car occupants, and motorcyclists. In other words, the safety gains of driving a larger vehicle come at a steep price for society as a whole. This presents a vexing moral quandary-is it right to purchase a larger vehicle for your own safety when you know it jeopardizes the safety of others?

Why So Dangerous?

You might wonder why SUVs represent such a safety risk to smaller cars. For one, the cars are heavier and larger, which means they are capable of producing prodigiously more damage than other, lighter-weight vehicles. Secondly, their size causes them to inflict more upper-body and head damage to accident victims in collisions. Finally, the bumpers of light trucks do not align with the bumpers of smaller vehicles, which means more force is transferred to the smaller vehicle upon impact. The industry has take steps to try to combat these disconcerting safety issues. For one, they have begun to install side-impact airbags to protect heads and upper bodies in collisions. Similarly, they are working to standardize bumper heights.

The Solution

Resolving the SUV safety dilemma is not easy. Some economists have proposed changed in liability, traffic, and insurance rules to persuade drivers to avoid larger vehicles. For instance, one economist suggested linking auto insurance to gasoline taxes, which would force SUV owners to pay more for their insurance. This is not unreasonable since, on average, they impose more costs in collisions.

Additional Resources:

• Report: SUVs Pose Danger to Cars
• GM Shelves SUVs, Prepares to Roll Out the Volt